In the Gaza Strip, food insecurity levels remain high. In 2013, some 57 percent of households in the impoverished strip were found to be food insecure. WFP provides the most vulnerable households with food assistance through either general food distributions or through its innovative electronic voucher programme. The electronic food voucher Sahtein allows beneficiaries to purchase locally-produced foods in their neighbourhood shop. The vouchers give them the freedeom to buy the food of their choice according to their needs and preferences and at the same time boosts Gaza's local economy.

The civilian population in Palestine continues to bear the brunt of ongoing conflict and occupation. This has resulted in a livelihood and protection crisis with serious and negative humanitarian consequences brought about by a lack of respect for international law.

The closure regime applied in the West Bank, combined with the blockade of the Gaza Strip, continues to seriously hamper access and movement of goods, services and people throughout the occupied Palestinian territory. These restrictions affect Palestinians' access to local and international markets and to employment as well as their control over natural resources.

In 2013, food insecurity levels remained high. The Socio-Economic and Food Security survey (SEFSEC), carried out by WFP and FAO in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip in 2013 and 2014, showed that food insecurity affects 33 percent of the households in Palestine. With food insecurity rates reaching 19 percent in the West Bank and 57 percent in the Gaza Strip. Food insecurity remains a direct consequence of income poverty and livelihoods erosion, leading to difficulties in accessing sufficient quantities of quality food.

In Gaza, the root causes for food insecurity remain: the continuous blockade, recurrent conflict and a high unemployment and moribund private sector. Food insecure households continue to face economic constraints to cover their basic needs. In the West Bank, the restrictions on freedom of movement, land and water access and working permits continue to hamper livelihood opportunities, particularly in Area C and the Seam Zone.

To meet the food needs of the most vulnerable and food-insecure non-refugees in urban and rural areas of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, WFP is implementing an Emergency Operation in the Gaza Strip and a Relief and Recovery Operation in the West Bank.

Both operations have the secondary objective to use WFP’s purchasing power to support the Palestinian economy, thereby contributing to the Palestinian Authority (PA) State Building plan.

In 2014, the emergency operation in Gaza assists 285,000 food insecure non-refugees through the following activities:

General food distributions, targeting the Palestinians showing the highest consumption gap under the deep poverty line. The activity also includes support to institutions (such as orphanages and hospitals).

School feeding as an emergency safety net and to enhance concentration at school.

Voucher project (E-vouchers) to improve the diet quality (through the consumption of local food products, mostly protein-rich dairy products and eggs) of the food insecure urban population also living under the deep poverty line.

In 2014, the relief and recovery operation in the West Bank assists 334,500 food insecure non-refugees. 2014 activities include:

General food distributions, targeting the Palestinians living under the deep poverty line. The activity also includes support to institutions and a joint assistance programme targeting Bedouin and Herder communities living in Israeli-controlled Area C, in cooperation with the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

School feeding, as an emergency safety net and to enhance concentration at school.

Voucher for work/voucher for training (conditional E-vouchers) for the re-establishment of agricultural livelihoods and food security of communities most affected by the conflict. The activity targets poor farmers, farmers affected by the West Bank Barrier, unskilled workers and rural female-headed households.

In line with the Palestinian Authority (PA) policy and evaluation recommendations, whenever possible, WFP undertakes local procurement and processing to support the economy and food production capacity.